Abstract
The burial of caskets with arsenic-treated wood and formaldehyde-based embalming fluids can harm the environment and health. Arsenic (As) can leach into water, affecting aquatic life and the food chain. Formaldehyde can contaminate groundwater, risking drinking water and causing health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of As and formaldehyde in cemetery plots of different ages. For this, we evaluated whether there is a potential for formaldehyde and As from cemetery caskets to contaminate waterways, which could impact livestock and allow transmission to individuals. There were six soil samples (n = 6), collected at 2 m depth, close to the buried caskets, as well as two (n = 2) groundwater samples (soil + groundwater) collected from a cemetery in Middle Tennessee. The soil was analyzed by an environmental lab using EPA 8315A for formaldehyde and EPA 3050B for As. All samples were below the limit of detection (